Revision as of 01:23, May 8, 2011

Shakespeare listens to one of the hundreds of musical reenactments of this sonnet.

Sonnet 18 was a Shakespearian sonnet, also known as Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Many readers have expressed dissatifaction at their inability to answer "no," and be done with the sonnet right then and there.

Time of writing

While there has been much debate and controversy over this question, most experts agree it was written some time after Sonnet 17 and before sonnet 19. Also, the content of the poem suggests it might have been written in summer, possibly May.

Content

Through rollicking iambic goodness, the speaker (probably Shakespeare) asks his lover if he can compare her to a Summer's day. We can only assume she agreed, or was asleep, since the speaker keeps going for another 13 lines uninterrupted.

The speaker then talks about winds, buds, May, summer, gold, etcetera etcetera etcetera... At around Line 9, he remembers to tie the lover back in again, reminding him that she isn't dead yet (probably meant in a romantic way). The speaker then talks about how great this poem is.

Sadly, 400 years of critics and school teachers have agreed with him.

Legacy

The reference book was only marginally successful at explaining the sonnet to hundreds of slacking school children.

The sonnet's greatest achievement is the everlasting remembrance of the woman Shakespeare is writing to. The woman's immortal memory is hampered only slightly by Shakespeare forgetting to put their name. Nevertheless, what we do know about the woman, mainly: